By the end of the day Sunday, meteorologists are forecasting 9-10 inches of snow will have fallen in different parts of Saginaw County, 5-7 inches in Midland County and 6-8 inches in Bay County. In the Thumb, snowfall of 8-12 inches is predicted.

Blowing and drifting snow is also expected, with a north wind of 15-25 mph Sunday changing to northwest overnight. A west wind of 20-30 mph is predicted for Monday.

The weather system sweeping through the region is bringing more than blankets of drifting snow. Meteorologists expect extreme, unusually cold temperatures to start out the week.

"The coldest air to affect Southeastern Michigan in perhaps the past 20 years will then blast into the area on Monday behind the departing winter storm," the statement warns. "This bitterly cold arctic airmass will bring dangerously cold wind chills through the early part of the week."

Temperatures in the Great Lakes Bay Region are expected to fall below zero Monday, Jan. 6, and wind chill values between -20 and -30 degrees are anticipated. Some areas are predicted to see a wind chill as low as -40 degrees.

Due to those unusually low temperatures and wind chills, the National Weather Service has also issued a wind chill warning. The warning begins at 7 a.m. Monday and runs through 1 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8.

The wind chill values, the NWS warns, make frostbite, hypothermia and death due to the cold much more likely if the proper precautions aren't taken.

"Exposure to such bitterly cold conditions will cause frost bite in a short period of time," the NWS warning states.